Traditional methods of starting fires are time-consuming and unreliable. Typically, one starts a fire by placing dry kindling wood and paper below a stack of logs or charcoal. The paper is ignited and, if all goes well, the stack of logs eventually ignites. However, the success of traditional methods depends on a number of factors, including weather conditions, the amount and condition of combustible materials used, and the experience of the user. Consequently, alternative methods of starting fires have been proposed which are relatively unaffected by weather conditions, do not require the use of paper or kindling wood, and require little or no skill to use.
Generally, alternative methods involve the use of either liquid fuel or solid fuel fire starters. Liquid fuel fire starters have the disadvantage of being highly flammable and are subject to flashbacks, making them more dangerous to store and use than solid fuels. When liquid fuels are used to start charcoal fires for grilling food, liquid fuel often transfers a “chemical” flavor or smell to the food. Solid fuel fire starters are commonly rectangular-shaped blocks made of paraffin wax and cellulose material, such as sawdust or woodchips. The blocks are placed on a support located below a quantity of charcoal or wood, and ignited using a flame or other flame source. Sometimes the blocks are chemically treated to enhance the combustibility or burning temperature of the block.
Therefore, an economical solid fuel fire starter that eliminates the use of paper and kindling wood to start a fire is needed which requires little material, and is easy to handle, store, ship, use, cleanup and will not spill.